Friday Reads: Stars Edition

TGIF! We’ve got several novels with starred reviews to add to your TBR pile this weekend!

SUMMER OF THE DEAD by Julia Keller
In Pulitzer winner Keller’s third Bell Elkins mystery, a spate of violent crime in Acker’s Gap, WV casts suspicion on a struggling young woman’s family. At the same time, Bell must deal with her sister Shirley – newly released from prison and still carrying the indelible scars of a savage past.

“Bell, who finds solace from her vengeful rage by immersing herself in the law, is one of the best-developed characters in all of modern crime fiction, and she is surrounded by a similarly well-rounded cast. Keller is such an accomplished prose stylist and storyteller that she leaves readers with only one dilemma: whether to read nonstop to reach the outcome or to take time to savor the well-wrought complexities of this exceptional novel.” — Booklist, starred review

“The third in a series, this is the kind of creepy, slow-paced, inexorable confluence of people that subtly grabs readers, draws them in, and sets the hook hard. You’re 75 pages in and committed before you know it.” — Library Journal, Books for Dudes column (and starred LJ review to come!)

And don’t miss Julia Keller’s interview with NPR’s Crime in the City!

SWAY by Kat Spears
We loved that this YA debut was written by a librarian—then we read it and loved it even more because it’s really, really good! High school senior Jesse Alderman, a young man who runs a lucrative business getting people what they want and avoids emotional connection at all costs, is forced to open his heart when he meets the girl of his dreams in this Cyrano De Bergerac story with a modern twist.

“Spears develops Jesse’s character so thoroughly readers will believe they know him. A compelling debut told with swagger and real depth.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Engrossing… Sharp dialogue, edgy humor, and an unlikely hero make this page-turner a winner.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

What are you reading today? Share your #FridayReads with us @MacmillanLib. Happy weekend and happy reading!